Eighty 9-12th grade students in the Earth Club at Arrowhead High School in Hartland, Wisconsin, will meet author Patty Dreier on December 9 through a virtual program to kick off their use of her book, Empowered: One Planet at a Time.
Earth Club Advisor, Dennis Mechenich who is also a science teacher and coach, reached out to Dreier after seeing her book on the Ice Age Trail Alliance website as a fundraiser for the organization which helps to create, support and protect the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, a thousand-mile footpath tracing Ice Age formations across Wisconsin. The Ice Age Trail weaves nearly seven miles through the Village of Hartland, an official Ice Age Trail Community—the first such community in Wisconsin. Dreier is a volunteer for the Ice Age Trail Alliance. The village is located northwest of Milwaukee.
Students on the leadership team for the club were invited to view the book trailer for Empowered and then to talk it up with their classmates.
“I’m thrilled about this,” said Dreier. “I am excited about asking students in Arrowhead High School’s Earth Club what they hope to accomplish through their group and how I can help.”
The mission of the school district to which Arrowhead belongs is to empower students to be engaged, confident, continuous learners who utilize the essential skills to collaborate and contribute within the local and global community.
“This is exactly what my book is about,” Dreier said. “Empowered: One Planet at a Time lends itself to use by groups of young adults wanting to build their confidence and skills to make changes happen on issues they care about locally and beyond. Dreier has worked across all sectors, is a former elected official, and has experience working at local, state, national, and international levels of government.
“It was published in late January 2020 to help recognize the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. Of course, that was just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Unfortunately, book launch events in the United States and Europe had to be cancelled. While my book wasn’t written specifically for virtual classes and groups, it has much to offer as a teaching and learning tool in those settings,” Dreier said. “There are discussion questions for reading groups, practical exercises, checklists, and even two pieces of music included in the book,” said Dreier, who has a master’s degree in environmental education. Teacher resources, an e-journal, and other free resources are also available.
“It’s their future. I want to do my part to equip and inspire them to make it the best it can be,” she said.
In addition to autographed copies available from the Ice Age Trail Alliance, Dreier’s book can be ordered in print or e-book formats from Barnes & Noble and Amazon.